Rupee down by 5 paise against US dollar in early trade

The Indian rupee fell by 5 paise to Rs44.55 against the US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange today, weighed down by weak trend in stock market but steady FII inflows restricted losses.

The rupee had tumbled by 12 paise to close at 44.50/51 per dollar in the previous session, following fresh dollar demand from importers amid sluggish equities.

Forex dealers said lower opening on the stock market put pressure on the rupee sentiments.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by 222.51 points, or 1.12%, to 19,474.35 in opening trade today.